UI Main Library Benefits From Business’ Closure

The video selection at the U of I’s University library has gotten a boost in some hard to find categories.  When U of I Technology Services department employee Dena Strong learned the popular Campustown business That’s Rentertainment was closing, she put together a crowdfunding campaign to buy a number of titles.

The campaign raised more than $4,000, and a number of titles were pulled before the store started selling inventory.  Strong originally offered the DVD’s to the Champaign and Urbana libraries, but was told that wouldn’t work due to space constraints, and that the rare material wouldn’t be in high circulation.

But Strong says university libraries are designed for preservation in a way that public libraries aren’t – and she knew a couple areas where students and staff would benefit.

“Foreign films were something I was particularly interested in, because I studied abroad a lot, and I speak about six languages," she said.  "And I know how useful it is hear actual conversation being taught in classroom.  I know that there are several professors who are interested in dance videos because – you know, video is one of the best ways to capture dance, you can’t really type it, you can’t just audio record it."

Strong said the additions to the U of I library’s collection will also include locally produced independent films. 

The titles were still being processed last week.  But with her fundraising - and additional library grant funds - Strong expects the library to gain well over 1,000 DVD’s and Blu-Rays.

That’s Rentertainment closed its doors Sunday after operating for 30 years.